Consumer Tip: What to do when debt collectors call

You get a phone call at work, and the caller says it involves an important personal matter. You discover that the caller is a debt collector, saying you owe money and if you do not pay the debt immediately a lawsuit and criminal complaint will be filed. What do you do?

Don't panic. Have the debt collector verify the debt in writing. It may not be your debt. You have the right to dispute the debt. Are other charges added to the debt? Are they valid? Ask questions.

A collection agency cannot under any circumstances tell you that you are going to jail or subject to arrest if you don't pay the debt. The agency also cannot misrepresent that a lawsuit has been, is about to be, or will be instituted unless payment of a consumer debt is made.

Request that all future correspondence be conducted in writing. A collection agency cannot call you if you have given instructions not to do so.

If the debt turns out to be valid, pay it or make arrangements to pay it with acceptable terms. The collector may be willing to compromise. Get all agreements in writing.

If the debt is old, consult an attorney. The debt may be ineligible to be collected through a lawsuit. Adverse information older than seven years must be removed from your credit file.

More information is available through the Marin County district attorney's consumer protection unit at 473-6495 or through its website at www.co.marin.ca.us/da.